Sports
IPL 2026 Ad Volumes Rise 10 per cent Despite Fewer Brands
Google powers surge as e-com & fresheners dominate; 9 new categories, 45 brands join IPL fray vs 2025
MUMBAI: Google has bowled a googly at the IPL advertising crease and the boundary count is up. Television commercial advertising for the first four matches of IPL 2026 has posted a healthy 9.94 per cent rise in ad volumes compared with the same slice of the 2025 tournament. The indexed growth stands at 109.94 versus a base of 100 for IPL 2025, according to TAM Sports data released today. Yet the playing field itself has thinned: the number of categories slipped from 47 to 40 (a 14.89 per cent drop) and the number of active advertisers fell from 58 to 43 (down 25.86 per cent). All figures are strictly for live-match commercial spots across 25 channels, excluding promos, fillers and non-live programming.
The top five categories in IPL 2026 tell the story of a fresh line-up. Ecom-Other Services stormed to pole position with a 13.78 per cent share, followed a whisker behind by Mouth Fresheners at 13.57 per cent. Air Conditioners claimed 5.94 per cent, Corporate-Financial Institute 5.69 per cent and Paints 5.23 per cent. Last season’s leaderboard looked markedly different: Mouth Fresheners led with 10.73 per cent, Ecom-Gaming sat second on 10.62 per cent, Cellular Phones-Smart Phones took 7.83 per cent, Biscuits 7.66 per cent and Cars 6.60 per cent.
On the advertiser front, Google delivered a masterclass, grabbing a commanding 12.67 per cent share and topping the chart for the first time. Reliance Consumer Products followed with 7.28 per cent, Havells India 5.94 per cent, Vishnu Packaging 5.56 per cent and K P Pan Foods 4.80 per cent. In 2025 the order was Parle Biscuits (7.66 per cent), Vishnu Packaging (5.92 per cent), Apple Computer India (5.52 per cent), Reliance Consumer Products (5.31 per cent) and Billion Brains Garage Ventures (4.52 per cent).
The real buzz lies in the new arrivals. Nine entirely fresh categories made their IPL debut, led by Chocolates, Laptops/Notebooks, Range of Hair Care, Corporate-Pharma/Healthcare and Footwear. Sixteen categories from 2025 sat out this year’s opening spell, the most notable being Ecom-Gaming, Cellular Phones-Smart Phones, Biscuits, Airlines and Fans. Brands, meanwhile, flooded in: 45 new ones appeared, with Google Search Engine, Google Gemini, Lloyd Designer AC, Cadburys Dairy Milk Chocolate and Hero Splendor Plus Range leading the charge. Even Joy Hello Sun Sunblock Anti-Tan Lotion found its way onto the big stage.
In short, IPL 2026’s advertising early overs have delivered more bang for fewer brands, a crisp powerplay of growth laced with some surprising wickets and plenty of debut sixes. The tournament may only be four matches old, but the commercial scorecard already hints at a lively, reshuffled contest ahead.
Sports
JioStar terminates Bangladesh IPL and WPL broadcast rights deals
Payment defaults lead to licence cancellations and potential legal action.
MUMBAI: When the money stops flowing in cricket’s biggest cash cow, even the sub-licence holders can find themselves suddenly bowled out. JioStar India Private Limited has terminated its Bangladesh sub-licence agreements for the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Women’s Premier League (WPL) after the counterparty, Excel Lead IT Solutions FZ-LLC (holding company of broadcaster T-Sports), failed to clear outstanding dues.
The agreements, originally signed with Viacom18 (now part of JioStar) and later novated to Excel Lead, covered digital media rights for the IPL and WPL in Bangladesh for the 2023–27 seasons. In early January 2026, JioStar issued a demand notice for unpaid amounts related to the IPL 2025 and WPL 2025 seasons. Despite providing full access to matches and allowing complete commercial exploitation, the dues remained unpaid even after the cure period expired.
As a result, all licensed rights have automatically reverted to JioStar. The company has demanded immediate payment of all outstanding dues along with overdue interest and costs, and has instructed Excel Lead (T-Sports) to immediately cease any broadcast, streaming, promotion or exploitation of the rights in Bangladesh. Any continued use would constitute unauthorised exploitation.
JioStar is also considering legal proceedings, including interim and injunctive relief, to protect the commercial value of these high-profile cricket properties.
In a separate development, JioStar has invoked arbitration against Green Bean Sports Marketing (an affiliate of Gazi TV Bangladesh) over a sublicensing agreement for IPL television media rights in Bangladesh for the 2023–27 seasons. The agreement was terminated in January 2025 due to contractual breaches and payment issues.
Industry sources say JioStar remains confident in the judicial process and is determined to recover all outstanding amounts, including interest and litigation costs, in full.
The developments highlight a growing zero-tolerance approach by rights holders towards payment defaults and unauthorised exploitation in South Asia’s lucrative sports media market, where marquee cricket properties continue to command premium valuations.
In the high-stakes game of cricket broadcasting, it seems JioStar has decided that when payments don’t come, the game stops and the rights go back to the rightful owner.
